Re: <nettime> Why I won't support the March for Science

[Molly Hankwitz <mollyhankwitz@gmail.com>]

   To demonstrate how progressive a scientific mind can be...

   "The real purpose of Socialism is to get past the predatory phase of
   human development." --Albert Einstein

   So, what does socialist science look like?

   In response to Michael:

   It is good to meet you. Perhaps you are one of the lab coat long-haired
   scientists pictured with Ant Farm's Clean Air Bubble in a photo Chip
   Lord put on Facebook commemorating the first Earth Day?

   In response to Florian and Brian's comments:

   I went to the Science march because it has been three weeks since my
   last street march and I can't make the climate march, which is more
   articulated on a personal level for many than a generalized march on
   science. We are all doing these MARCHES because they bring levels of
   resistance together, draw media attention to Trump's bad ideas, and in
   addition to flooding the White House with postcards, calling Trumps
   properties to request his tax returns, signing petitions, jamming
   switchboards with phone calls on issues to Congress, donating money to
   AAAS, ACLU, joining networks against ICE and all the rest of the
   resistance to Trump agenda, bring us face2face with each other.

   I was disappointed overall, despite the turn-out, because I would have
   thought, as I mentioned --that higher ed, public science institutions
   etc would be out in force. The turn-out was good everywhere, though,
   for keeping the topic of funding cuts and rise of ignorance in the
   news!

   And, there are so many important fights here now ---that we need to
   continue to remind ourselves that not giving in is important. At the
   same time many valid questions remain as you both point out in terms of
   a political critique not of Science per se but of its appropriation and
   use for-profit. These same questions and even similar wording -
   evidence-based equals "student-learning outcomes" for instance -
   persist in neo-leberalized education-speak as an influence of corporate
   privatization, creative industries, policy, etc. Sure we can reject it
   outright based on their statement, but I took the idea of the march to
   be ---a respect for knowledge and truth!

   I think for the European audience/fabric/makeup of nettime - it is
   genuinely worth consideration whether the Trump-era will create greater
   influence of American corporate leadership in EUROPE or less and how we
   can help each other to resist this "globalization" of scientific
   methodology couched in profit and defense, or how we can present and
   write about and communicate differing models at the level of research
   produced and research funded?

   For instance, we might turn towards supporting critical investigations
   of medical and environmental science where human interest is served for
   the good of all, while considering pro-environment, anti-war
   activity.

   Respectfully, we are reeling at the degree to which the Trump WH sits
   around fearing and hating and "enterprising" to secure itself. We have
   to continue to reject it.

   Molly

   On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 7:04 AM Michael Goldhaber <michael@goldhaber.org> wrote:

     I took part on Saturday in the March for Science in SF. It wast a bit
     of déja vu for me, since, about 47 years ago,  I helped organize and
     participated in the March 4, scientists' movement that became "Science
     for the People" (SftP),  and then the first Earth Day the next year.
 <...>


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